Hockey East Semifinals Preview

Tonight at the Garden, the other March Madness continues with the Hockey East semifinals.

5:00pm - NESN/NBC Sports
#1 BOSTON COLLEGE vs. #7 PROVIDENCE COLLEGE
The Friars surprised UMass-Lowell last weekend to advance to their first Hockey East semifinals since 2001. however, BC has won 13 straight games. Two of those came against Providence (3-0, then 7-0). The Eagles are on fire. Their power play is clicking, and goalie Parker Milner has found a groove. BC will advance to their 3rd straight Hockey East Final, their 6th in the last 7 years.

8:00pm - NESN/NBC Sports
#3 BOSTON UNIVERSITY vs. #4 MAINE
It's hard to pick against BU after their dramatic series against UNH. The Terriers have had so much self-inflicted adversity this season, but they've managed to persevere. Maine beat BU at Agganis twice in late January, but the Black Bears' season has been defined by inconsistency. I think BU grinds out a tough win, possibly in OT.

That would set up a classic BU/BC final. BU won the regular season series 2-1, but BC won the Beanpot. And as well as BC is playing right now, they'll be tough to stop. BC will win their 11th Hockey East Tournament Championship.

The Final will be Saturday night at 8:00pm, on NESN locally and NBC Sports nationally.

Bruins Sign Minor League Goalie

The Bruins signed 21 year old goalie Adam Morrison to a 3 year deal. Morrison had been playing for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, the same Juniors team that produced Milan Lucic.

He was drafted by the Flyers in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft but became a free agent after two years when Philadelphia didn't sign him.

He was 34-16-3 with Vancouver, with a 2.73 GAA and a .901 SV%. He also played 2 games for the Saskatoon Blades before going to Vancouver.

I doubt you'll see him in a Boston Bruins uniform this season unless somebody gets injured, or Marty Turco gives up 10 goals in a period. He adds depth to the bottom of the Bruins' goaltending depth chart.

He's much better groomed than Gonzaga's Adam Morrison.

There Are Racists in Mississippi?

As Kansas State's Angel Rodriguez shot free throws, Southern Mississippi pep band members chanted "Where's your green card." What makes this instance of ignorance extra ignorant is that Rodriguez is Puerto Rican. Which means he's a natural born American citizen. So technically he doesn't have a green card.

Anyway, these weren't random Southern Miss fans, these were people whose trip to Pittsburgh was paid for by the school.

Bruins Retire in Florida

For the first time in a few weeks, the Bruins outdid their opponent in an aspect of the game. Unfortunately, that aspect of the game was which team was trying hardest to lose. The Panthers made so many mistakes, from giveaways in their own zone, to Theodore's trapezoid penalty. The Bruins failed to capitalize, and made more than a few mistakes on their own.

The difference between a clean breakout pass and a giveaway that results in a goal is just a foot or two. The Bruins have found ways to turn these simple plays into game-changing mistakes.

I'm tired of seeing Joe Corvo's name on the box score, I'm tired of seeing his screw ups on the ice, and I'm tired of hearing his name. He scored a goal last night, but he was on the ice for three Panther goals. One of his giveaways directly resulted in Florida's 3rd goal. His blue-line passes suck, his breakout passes suck, and I never see him make a big defensive play.

Corvo's not the only problem. Nobody on the Bruins is playing well. And if they do, it's just for one or two shifts per game. Right now, the Bruins best player is Shawn Thornton. No offense to #22, but that's sad.

Bruins host the Flyers Saturday afternoon. And if Ottawa beats Montreal tonight, the Bruins will be in 2nd place in the Division, and 7th in the Conference.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo